From 10:00 am until 11:00 am I was under the knife, cut open and had my intestinal wall sewn back together where it had been stretched too hard and had ripped open a little. A mesh screen was sewn over the previous opening and now it has become a permanent part of me.
I remember a feeling, a few times during my life, of a tearing sensation in my abdomen while doing something strenuous. One time while pulling really hard on a tire iron while trying to fix a flat tire. I was pulling on a car wheel bolt which had frozen stuck, and had a distinct zipper being opened feeling. Another time was this last summer when sawing some very hard tree stumps down to slightly below ground level. I was using a wonderful Corona 14 inch Pruning Saw and cutting roots about three inches underground. My body posture was very strange while cutting those steel hard roots when I felt a tearing sensation. It didn’t hurt much and I finished the job in a slightly different position.
Several weeks ago I noticed a large smooth lump in my lower abdomen and asked my doctor about it, and he immediately informed me that I had an inguinal hernia. Other people were then contacted, paperwork completed, other forms of various prep work like insurance lined up, and then an inguinal hernia doctor scheduled. All of that early work went remarkably well, apparently because my intestine was noticeably obtruding through my intestinal wall and imposed a risk that can lead to death. Mayo Clinic posts, “Incarcerated hernia can become strangulated, which cuts off the blood flow to the tissue that’s trapped. A strangulated hernia can be life-threatening if it isn’t treated.”
The operation went well, I was told, and my super helpful next door neighbor was called and he drove us home from the clinic. I was groggy from the sedatives but hungry, so I ate a slice of bread, and went to bed. I had only slept for three hours the night before. After waking up, Debbie and I did our usual twenty-minute walk, a bit slower than usual, but very pleasant. When we came home I read University of NIKE for a few minutes and went back to sleep.
The whole event was not painful, and I enjoyed being the center of attention and being treated kindly by everyone.
Currently, my pain and anxiety levels are quite low and my mind isn’t noticeably compromised … yet.
Probaway - Life Hacks 